Ash's Comeback
by Mystic Saber
Summary: Friends are supposed to be there for you. However, Ash wasn't so fortunate as he was told by his very own companions that he was horrible and didn't deserve to even be a Pokémon trainer. He set off towards Saffron City, where he had a fateful encounter with the one of his dreams. How will it all play out with him and the one he loves? Chapter 3 is up, finally!
1. Chapter 1: Desolation

**Hai, everyone! My name is Ebony Void, and I'm so glad to be writing my first fanfiction! My favorite one so far are Ash Betrayed stories… I dunno why. Something about them are really good, and I wanted to try my own! But, I'll probably end up failing because I'll just be adding another bad stories to the pile. If I do, I'm really sorry. I just started to write and I wanted to do something I can be familiar with, so if my skill level is bad… well, I'm very sorry. But I'll keep writing and writing until I can meet your expectations! So let's get on with the first chapter!  
**

 **Chapter 1: Desolation**

The deafening cheers of the crowd seem to rumble the arena as two powerful trainers were being observed by said crowd. The first was the lovely Diantha, who was a famous actress renowned for her cool and collected nature in her works. She's also an extremely skilled battler. After all, she is the Champion of Kalos. She couldn't let anyone get by her that easy.

On the other side of the raging battle, you have the aspiring Pokémon Master, Ash Ketchum. Although he is only 14, he has lots of experience under his belt. He had been able to rank very high positions in other tournaments and he was the only one to end Drake's undefeated streak in the Orange Islands. He also had a plethora of powerful Pokémon at his fingertips, all carefully and loved by Ash. Right now, he had fought a tough battle. A full 6-on-6 against Diantha, and she was ruthless.

"With my last Pokémon, we shall triumph! Go, Gardevoir!" Diantha called out. A powerful Gardevoir materialized out on the field and radiated a strong, psychic aura. Ash could feel the immense strength the psychic-type had. He had to be cautious in this battle. _Calm down. Concentrate. Analyze. Defeat._ He thought. Ash motioned his Pikachu to get onto the battlefield. The electric-type sized up the psychic-type and the two stared down at each other until Ash made the first move.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Counter with Psyshock!" A large bolt was fired as multiple particles of energy crashed into the electricity, cancelling each other out. Two already powerful attacks ended with a draw.

"Volt Tackle, now!"

"Dodge then use Psychic!" Pikachu was cloaked with a terrifying electrical aura as it rushed forwards, preparing to smash into Gardevoir. However, the psychic-type dodged the attack in the nick of time and proceeded to hold Pikachu into the air. The electric-type had trouble breathing as the air around its neck tightened.

"Break free then use Iron Tail!"

"Moonblast!" Pikachu mustered all of its strength as it was able to break free from the psychic bond. It proceeded to dash forwards with a steely tail as it was ready to attack. Gardevoir, caught off guard, barely charged up its own attack as a sphere of energy met a steel tail. The attacks collided, a bigger explosion rocking the arena. Pikachu was able to make contact with Gardevoir and successfully hit it right on the side, making it cry out in pain.

"Quick Attack into Iron Tail!"

"Dazzling Gleam!" Gardevoir quickly sent out a burst of energy that was threatening to hit Pikachu. However, the electric-type was able to dodge out of the way and began to rush forwards. Successfully hitting Gardevoir in the stomach, it doubled over as Pikachu was able to give another chance to attack with a full-power Iron Tail that would do lots of damage.

"Keep using Iron Tail!"

"It's time Gardevoir!" Pikachu began to strike down on Gardevoir, but a burst of power sent the electric-type back. It expertly used its hands to flip backwards and land gracefully on its feet, but looked in awe as Gardevoir began to glow in a white color.

"Pikachu, keep your guard up!"

"Through our bonds, we shall overcome this battle! Beyond evolution, Mega Evolve!" Diantha shouted as the stone on her necklace began to glow. The stone on Gardevoir's necklace began to glow as well as energy rippled throughout the battlefield. Another burst of energy was released as Gardevoir glowed brighter and brighter until an explosion of pure power finally made the glowing die out. Ash looked at the new Gardevoir in awe. Its dress was large and its hands seemed to give off an unimaginable level of energyーMega Gardevoir.

"Watch out Pikachu; Gardevoir's much stronger now."

"Now let's keep battling! Keep using Calm Mind!" Gardevoir began to calm itself as it stood motionless on Diantha's battlefield and began raising its concentration, allowing it to put out more power.

"Pikachu, use Nuzzle!"

"Calm Mind again!" Pikachu ran forwards and began nuzzling its cheeks against Gardevoir's body, tickling it just a little bit as Pikachu jumped back. Gardevoir received minimal damage from that rub, but it felt a massive amount of electricity coursing through it. Diantha looked at Gardevoir straining to raise its stats and began to become worried. She had to do something to heal itself… but what could she do? Putting that thought out of her head, she began to think about the battle.

"Alright, Pikachu. Keep hitting them with an Iron Tail!"

"Gardevoir, counter with Stored Power!" Ash was a bit scared now. After so much boosts to its strength, Stored Power would do lots of damage. He just hopes that Pikachu can take the powerful attack. Meanwhile, Gardevoir had a ring of energy forming around it as it shot the attack towards Pikachu, who was attempting to attack the psychic-type. The ring had surrounded Pikachu and suddenly tightened as it sapped the poor electric-type's power. Pikachu squeaked in pain as more and more damage was being done to it, much to the dismay of Ash.

"C'mon, Pikachu! Please get out of there!" It seemed to hear its trainer's cry for courage as it broke through the psychic grip and was able to charge up a powerful Iron Tail that was successfully able to strike Gardevoir on its left side, making it cry in pain making Diantha wince in sympathy.

"Gardevoir, fight through the pain and use Moonblast into Magical Leaf!"

"Discharge into Iron Tail!" Gardevoir charged up a ball of energy as it shot it towards Pikachu, who was able to dispel the attack with an arc of lightning that spread around the battlefield. Gardevoir quickly changed attacks and sent out a barrage of leaves that had a rainbow shine to them as the attack quickly headed towards Pikachu who had already charged up an Iron Tail. Batting the leaves away, Pikachu attempted one more Iron Tail against Gardevoir but the psychic-type wouldn't take the attack as it shot a point-blank Moonblast into the electric-type's face. The electric mouse staggered away as the attack had done some real damage to him while the Gardevoir wasn't looking so better as it was breathing heavily.

"Pull through and use Stored Power again!"

"Thunder!" A swirl of black clouds appeared high above the battlefield as the pockets of air around the black clouds began to become hotter. Sparks flew off as a singular thunderbolt struck Gardevoir with full force and soon the arena would be filled with its pained screams. However, the psychic-type had to keep going. Through the massive pain, it shot out a ring of energy, but it was much stronger than last time. Some of the electricity had been caught in the attack as it squeezed in on Pikachu, making it writhe and cry in despair. The two Pokémon fell to their knees as they were extremely tired and they wouldn't last much longer. Both trainers knew what it had come to and nodded swiftly at each other before beginning to call out their last commands.

"Put everything you have into this attack, Gardevoir! Use Calm Mind into Moonblast!"

"Electro Ball into Iron Tail!" The crowd were on the edge of their seats. This last attack would decide the battle once and for all. Gardevoir began to raise its concentration as it charged up an extremely large sphere of energy in its hands whilst its eyes were closed. Pikachu began to form a ball of pure electricity as its tail began sparking in excitement. The two Pokémon looked at each other before shooting off their respective attacks. Gardevoir had shot off a powerful sphere of energy that engulfed nearly a part of a stadium while Pikachu rushed into the attack head on, preparing itself for the inevitable damage, but it hoped to break through the energy barrier to do some damage of its own. The Moonblast was able to severely damage Pikachu, but it couldn't stop it rushing forward to deliver an electrically-charged Iron Tail. The collision was extremely powerful as a wave of power resonated through the arena. The impact had caused smoke to cover the entire battlefield. Everyone was eager to see the outcome of the large battle.

The smoke dispersed and everyone was biting off their fingers and toes in anxiety to see who won the battle. As the smoke cleared, Gardevoir was shown on one knee with sparks flying off its body. Pikachu wasn't any better. The psychic attacks it had endured were too much for the electric-type as it doubled over and fell to the ground. The referee came to inspect the Pokémon as he saw that Pikachu was indeed, knocked out.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Gardevoir is the winner which means that Champion Diantha has won the match!" the referee announced. Ash was stunned. Diantha was stunned. The whole crowd was stunned until an eruption of cheers and boos filled the crowd. Ash, not caring the reception he had received, rushed over to the field and put a hand on Pikachu's body. Cold. His heart stopped beating at the cold touch. He picked up his Pikachu and ran off towards the Pokémon Center. He didn't care if Diantha was calling out to him; Pikachu is his priority. He burst through the doors of the Pokémon Center, where his friends came out to watch him.

"Hey Ash-" Gary was about to console him until Ash past him as he started talking to the nurse behind the counter.

"Nurse! Please…" Ash pleaded as he put Pikachu down on the counter. "Save him!" he shouted. The nurse took immediate action as she placed the electric-type on a table as she rushed the Pokémon to one of the rooms where Ash could freely watch his Pokémon be worked on. He stood there for hours with his friends by him, supporting and trying to bring his spirits up, but so far nothing was working. Suddenly, the door opened as Ash anxiously waited for the news.

"How is he, Nurse?" he asked impatiently.

"Not very good… the psychic attacks were far too powerful for his system to effectively block and now his immune system is beginning to shut down. I'm sorry Mr. Ketchum, but we couldn't more than that…" she reported sadly. Ash's heart literally stopped beating as he replayed those words over and over in his head. His world came crashing down as he fell to the floor in complete shock. The last thing he could hear was his friends crying for someone to help him.

 **X-X-X**

 **The Next Day**

 **X-X-X**

Ash's friends nervously paced around the room Ash was currently resting in. Everyone was worried about him of course, but they were more worried about the situation at hand.

"He'll react badly again once we tell him Pikachu has passed while he was passed out…" Gary said sadly. Everyone solemnly agreed until Brock stood up with a serious face.

"I'll tell him. After all, I think I can calm him down." He suggested emotionless. The others agreed as they stepped out as Ash began to stir. His eyes cracked open as he grumbled about the bright sunlight. He looked around the room and saw Brock staring at him with a sad smile, confusing the boy.

"Ash… I have something important to tell you." He said sadly. Ash sat up and became more confused by the second. Why was Brock so silent and sad?

"What's up?" he asked casually. Brock looked away for a second until he faced Ash once more.

"Pikachu… The nurses couldn't do anything. The psychic energy kept weakening his system until he couldn't hold on any longer… Ash… Pikachu died." Brock said solemnly. Ash's friends winced as they heard Ash screaming loudly, screaming 'Why did you die!?' and 'Why!?' to himself. Brock silently exited the room as he shook his head, signaling that they should leave Ash alone for now. Meanwhile, Ash calmed down a bit and started crying to himself.

"I-If only… I wasn't such a bad t-trainer…" he cried softly. The news were hitting him hard as fatigue once overcame him, making him rest for a couple hours. That gave his friends enough time to break the news to the Champion and his mother who all took the news hard as well. Diantha had gotten to know the electric-type, and she loved the energy he put out. He also had superb skill, and the Champion felt bad for the recent news. However, Delia took the news much harder. Pikachu was her son's everlasting companion for four years, journeying through the regions and learning so much together. Pikachu was one of the few who could pick Ash up through rough times, aside from his mother. Everyone missed the little electric-type who had so much bubbly energy and could make you happy with just a 'Pika!'. Ash's friends took the time to rest themselves while Ash could try and lessen the pain he had received.

 **X-X-X**

 **The Next Day**

 **X-X-X**

Ash silently sat on the airplane chair as he had boarded a flight back to Kanto with his friends coming with him just to make sure he wouldn't go crazy. The aspiring Pokémon Master had received many words of condolences from the people who watched the match he had fought in, and Ash had to admit, their words were slowly lessening the pain. It felt nice to see that Pikachu had an impact on people very close to him. A small smile began to form as Ash reminisced all the times he had gone through with Pikachu, from winning over 50 Gym Battles to protecting the mouse from an angry flock of Spearow, way back on their first day of their journey. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the pilot's voice over the speaker.

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen. We are now descending. Please wait for about 10 minutes as we slowly go down. Thank you." The voice cut off as Ash rested his chin on his palm, silently waiting for the descent. Flashes of memories occasionally invaded his head, but he forced them out. He did not want to be down right now. He'd like to celebrate his chance to become Kalos Champion. As the plane made touchdown, his friends worriedly looked at Ash, but their worried looks were for nothing as Ash stared at them with a happy smile. The others put a smile as well; if he was beginning to open up, then so would they. Brock and the others had a bad thought roaming around their heads however, but they wouldn't say anything. Ash had joined the group and everything was pretty much to normal as they walked over to Pallet Town.

 **X-X-X**

 **Pallet Town**

 **X-X-X**

The group had finally made it all the way to Ash's house, and they were extremely tired. On the way from the airport, they were attacked by a trainer's rampaging Dragonite, a flock of Fearow, and a group of mischievous Dugtrio and Diglett. All in all, the journey to the town was harsh, but it was all worth it. They would finally have a chance to have a taste of Mrs. Ketchum's legendary cooking. Ash knocked on the door. He swore he could've heard running as the door swung open with Delia immediately crushing Ash into a hug.

"Hi… M-mom… Crushing… me…!" he groaned out. Delia quickly let go of him and sheepishly grinned.

"I'm sorry honey. It's just that I haven't seen you in a while. And your friends are here! Why don't you all come in; I have food ready!" she announced happily. All of them were extremely tired and cheered as they heard the prospect of food. Ash and his friends hung around in the living room while Delia was preparing the large meals. Some of Ash's friends were acting unsettled, something that Ash had noticed.

"What's up, guys? You've been acting weird since we got here." Ash admitted. His friends jumped a little bit until Misty decided to take action for everyone else.

"Look… Ash. We have been thinking… We think you should quit as a trainer." She admitted sheepishly. Ash looked at her with a baffled expression until he saw Dawn wanted to speak as well.

"You have great skill, Ash. It's just that we can't see you lose more and more of your Pokémon through tough battles." She explained. Ash became angry at this point. They thought he was weak? Suddenly, Gary stood up with an angry face as he glared at Misty and Dawn.

"Basically, you're calling one of your closest friends weak!?" he shouted angrily. Ash was glad to have him on his side. May then stood up with a mad face as she thumped Gary's chest.

"Well, it's not our fault that Ash sucks so much!" she shouted until she gasped and covered her mouth. Max and Drew looked at her with widened eyes, and Ash just broke down at that point. "I d-didn't…" she stuttered until she heard a plate breaking. Delia had angry tears as she heard what they said. Ash angrily steamed off out of the house with Gary, Max and Drew calling out to him.

"Ash! Wait!" Drew yelled out. He turned around and glared at May. "How could you say that…" he spat at her as he ran off towards Ash. Max stared at his crying sister until he also got mad and ran off as well. In the middle of Pallet Town was Ash, crying with Gary attempting to comfort him.

"What's wrong with me Gary… do I not have skill?" he asked him, trying to find the least bit of comfort. Gary vigorously nodded as Ash began crying less. Drew and Max had finally arrived as well as they gave their own words of comfort. Meanwhile, back in the house, Delia steamed off into her own room, leaving Ash's so-called friends in the living room.

"It's true on one level, though…" Iris admitted. Cilan nodded with her.

"Yes… his skill has lost his flare during that battle." The others solemnly agreed. Suddenly, the door towards the living room swung open with two angry trainers looking at them.

"Paul!? Trip!? What are you doing here!?" Dawn shouted. Paul glared at the group.

"Why are you all insulting him like that!? He had saved all of your lives from legendaries, and this is how you repay him!? By backstabbing!?" he shouted angrily. Trip stepped up and began to argue as well.

"Maybe I didn't like Ash so much, but I have the decency to stick by him, even if he is my rival! You call yourselves mourners of his lost Pikachu, but your just a bunch of heartless douchebags!" he remarked as he and Paul walked out to try and comfort Ash. He had completely broken down as he kept saying 'I failed you, Pikachu!' over and over. Ash began to calm down as he wiped his tears off.

"Fine… if they say I'm such a bad trainer… I'll get stronger then." He said with determination. Gary and Drew nodded solemnly as they released their hands on his shoulders. Paul and Trip had caught up as they saw Ash walking towards Oak's lab.

"What is he doing?" Trip asked curiously. Max stood up to explain.

"He's going to get stronger… He'll be updating his Pokédex with the secret options, and he'll exile himself in training… We don't want to agree with him…" he gestured over to Gary and Drew. "But if he really wants to, then we can support him." He finished seriously. Meanwhile, Ash had been talking with Professor Oak.

"So… can you help me?" he asked hopefully. Oak sighed as he motioned for Ash to give him his Pokédex. Ash smiled slightly as he handed him the device. Said trainer pulled out a letter from his pocket and gave it to Oak.

"Do you want your friends to get this?" he guessed. Ash nodded as he took his device back. Oak solemnly agreed and took out a box of five Pokéballs with the words 'Elites' on the top. It opened slowly and Ash clipped the 5 Pokéballs onto his belt and gave one last serious wave towards Oak who teared up slightly.

"Are you really doing this, Ash?" Trip asked as Ash walked out. The trainer nodded.

"Trip… after all of those times you called me weak…" Trip visibly winced. "It's okay. I'll use them as my strength to drive myself further." He explained. Trip put on a forced smile.

"I'm sorry, Ash." Trip pulled Ash into a bro hug of sorts. "Be safe out there, alright?" he asked. Ash nodded as Drew gave out his hand.

"Good luck, bro." he simply stated as Ash took the handshake and smiled at Drew.

"You too. I hope you'll beat that bitch May and become the Top-Coordinator." Ash joked. Drew grinned.

"Hell yeah." Ash grinned as he faced Gary who was crying a little bit.

"I'll miss you, man." Gary cried out softly as he took Ash into a crushing hug. Ash smiled and nodded as Max came into join the hug, crying loudly.

"I don't want you to leave!" Max wailed out as he cried louder. Ash smiled sadly as he pat Max on the head, reassuring him that he would come back. Paul was the last one left.

"Paul…" Ash began. "Treat your Pokémon nicer, alright?" Ash asked. Paul nodded as Ash agreed. Ash took out a Pokéball and threw it on the ground as his Charizard materialized into the air.

"Hey there, buddy." Ash cooed as he rubbed Charizard on the head, prompting a low and affectionate growl. Gary stopped his tears and looked at Ash questioningly.

"Where will you go?" he asked curiously. Ash looked at him and grinned.

"Wherever I want to go. But when I come back… I'll be stronger than ever. So watch out for new competition guys." He joked lightly, prompting a chuckle amongst them. Ash had Charizard be by him as they walked off into the woods as they heard 'Good-bye, Ash!' and 'Good luck, Ash!'. Ash couldn't help but grin at his friends' support. He just hopes they can follow what he asked for in the letter. Meanwhile, Oak had run out and saw the 5 boys standing out.

"Boys… Ash had left a letter for you all to read." He explained as he handed the letter to Gary. Clearing his throat, the young Professor began to read.

 _Dear friends,_

 _If you're reading this, then I must've left and you all have let me leave to get stronger. Thank you for letting me do this, but I have another favor to ask of you. I brought my strongest Pokémon with me and only them. I didn't want to burden the rest of my Pokémon by disrupting and forcing them to train with me. So my favor is for all of you to take care of my Pokémon and make sure they have a good life. I hope I can visit you in the years to come._

 _Your friend_

 _Ash_

Gary gripped the letter and let tears fall. If Ash wanted them to take care of his Pokémon, then they would do everything in their power to help them. His friends and Oak set off to work as they researched day and night what they would need to do for the Pokémon. Meanwhile, Ash was still walking with Charizard somewhere.

"I'd like to go there… but would she accept me with open arms?" Ash pondered. Suddenly, he heard a rustle behind him. Charizard, wanting to protect his trainer, immediately got into a battle position and stepped in front of Ash. The rustle got louder and louder until a white shape popped out. Ash put a hand on Charizard's shoulder as he walked to see what the shape was. He gasped slightly. There it was, a Ralts with blue hair. Picking up the small psychic-type, Ash began to communicate with it. He had learned to communicate with psychic-types, but that was all he could do.

 _"Hey there… What happened to you?"_ Ash asked through his mind. He could hear coughing until the Ralts began to speak.

 _"Please… trainer… if you are willing to help me, take me to Saffron City. I was separated from my best friend, and I could sense her psychic signal there. Please?"_ the Ralts begged. Ash nodded as he unclipped a spare Pokéball he had.

 _"Alright, I'll take you. But get into this Pokéball so I can keep you safe for now. I promise I won't hurt you."_ He assured the little guy. Ralts reluctantly tapped the Pokéball as it sucked in the psychic-type. Nodding in agreement, Ash clipped the ball back onto his belt and faced his Charizard.

"Charizard, take me to Saffron City." He commanded lightly. Charizard growled as he bent his body down so Ash could get on his back. Once safely secure, Charizard got into the air with a powerful beat of its large wings and flew at a fast speed towards Saffron City. As they were riding into the air, Ash kept Ralts' temporary Pokéball safe. As much as he didn't want to let the guy go, he had to. It probably wanted to explore the world with his best friend. Ash smiled lightly until his thoughts were broken with Charizard growling. Ash looked down to see that they were already at Saffron. They just needed to descend down.

"Alright, Charizard. Fly me to the Gym." Ash ordered. Charizard nodded and they plummeted towards the large building. They got on the ground with a large _thud._ Ash got off of Charizard and said his thanks as he returned the fire-type back into its ball. Ash then got out Ralts who seemed to be happy about getting out of the ball.

 _"Where is your best friend, Ralts? Is she in here?"_ Ash asked. The Ralts nodded as Ash knocked on the gym doors. He started to get nervous a little bit until he calmed himself, telling himself that it's just someone he knows for a long time and is really close with him. The doors opened as a woman, around Ash's height, greeted them. Her name was Sabrina, the one that Ash was nervous about. When Ash first met her, he thought that his crush on her was just a little kid one, the same way you look at a celebrity as a kid and say that you really like him or her. But looking back, Ash realized why he had liked her so much.

Sabrina had unusual pink eyes that seemed to be in harmony with the rest of her looks. She sported long black hair that had the slightest tint of blue in them. She had her casual outfit on: A pink tank top that just cut right above her waist with white shorts and pink slippers. However, she always had these objects on her wrists that served as her power source, but they weren't awkward looking. They were golden squares that were just the right size and seemed like a fashion thing. Ash gulped his nervousness down and kept a straight face at her eyes, which was really hard to do. Throughout the years, Sabrina was beginning to mature and become much more beautiful, which Ash was much to thank for.

"Hi… S-Sabrina. I was looking to see if you found a Ralts?" Ash asked as he gulped a large lump in his throat. Sabrina blushed lightly as she saw that Ash was more handsome than she remembered. His raven hair was untamed and gave him a messy look with his brown eyes and the faint outline of a 'Z' on his cheeks. He had muscles just large enough for someone to infer that he had gone through lots of things throughout his life. Sabrina nodded nervously.

"Y-Yeah… I found a Ralts wonder into my Gym a couple hours ago. Does it have to do something with that Ralts in your hands?" Sabrina asked as she pointed towards the blue-haired psychic-type. Ash nodded as Sabrina opened the door for Ash to enter in. The trainer had noticed the familiar battlefield with two doors on either side. Sabrina and Ash walked to the right side and the door opened as Ash saw a non-shiny Ralts playing with a tiny ball.

 _"Jade!"_ the Ralts in Ash's hands shouted. The other Ralts turned around and had widened eyes as the blue-haired one jumped off of Ash and proceeded to hug the Ralts.

 _"Azure… I'm so glad you're okay. Was he the one who saved you?"_ the green-haired Ralts, now known as Jade, asked as she gestured over to Ash who had a sheepish grin. The blue-haired Ralts, known as Azure, nodded.

 _"Yep… I don't know if he can hear us, but he was a really nice trainer to me with a bad past… I want to be there for him and become his Pokémon… if he accepts me."_ Azure admitted. Jade smiled.

 _"I know. I have taken a liking to the girl that had saved me as well as she fought off all of the poachers that came to get me… And from the looks of it, she and the boy have feelings for each other."_

 _"I know. The boy actually kept thinking about the girl while we were flying over here."_

 _"I can sense it from the girl too."_ Jade smiled as she looked smugly at Sabrina who was blushing a beet-red. Meanwhile, Ash was just lost and didn't hear much from the conversation the two had.

 _"You guys really think he likes me?"_ Sabrina cut into their conversations. The two Ralts nodded and grinned at her. Sabrina cleared her throat and looked at Ash with a smile.

"Thanks for helping them out, Ash."

"Of course… but I actually had another reason to come here." Ash explained seriously. Sabrina nodded and motioned for them to take a seat nearby while letting the two Ralts catch up.

"A couple hours ago… my friends… had recently opened their eyes and told me I was weak." He bluntly let out. Sabrina gasped but didn't want to impose.

"So… my true friends had taken them down by beating them all in a battle, which I was very grateful for. I then set off to get stronger, but I needed to see someone first." He started to sweat a little. He was really doing it, but he was very nervous about it.

"Someone… I had harbored feelings for. That someone…" Ash turned to Sabrina. "Is you." He finished. Sabrina was holding back tears now as she lunged forward and pulled Ash into a hug. The two stayed in this position for a while until Ash broke the silence.

"So… are we… y'know?" Ash joked lightly. Sabrina giggled and got off of him and made a pouty face.

"I would rather you ask me officially." She joked as well. Ash grinned as he looked at her confidently.

"Sabrina… would you be my girlfriend?" he asked. She grinned herself and pulled him into an intimate hug that soon turned into a quick kiss on the lips. Suddenly, Ash remembered the two Ralts that were with them. Ash began to speak to them psychically.

 _"So where are you two going to go now? I really do want to keep you guys, but me and Sabrina have agreed that we would let you guys make your own decisions."_ Ash explained. Sabrina nodded.

 _"Exactly. While I would love to take care of you, we understand if you don't wanna stay with us."_

 _"Are you kidding?"_ Jade exclaimed as she jumped onto Sabrina's lap with Azure onto Ash's shoulders.

 _"We'd love to be your guys' Pokémon! We can sense your strength and your compassion towards us, and we really want to become strong like you guys."_ Azure explained. The newly made couple smiled at each other as they made the Ralts' captures official. Ash and Sabrina then worked out a system, letting Ash stay here as long as he needed to. Ash was also able to let Sabrina's father know that they were dating. With unknown reasons, Sabrina's father was quite unsupportive with the relationships, but when he saw his daughter happier than ever, he decided that Ash would be a great man towards his little girl. Ash was ecstatic to hear this as he and Sabrina began to develop a more intimate relationship. They also made sure their battling skills never faltered, doing more than 8 hours of training with their Pokémon every day. Little did they know that this decision would be a life changer.

 _My life had been turned into a desolate land._

 _And she is the rainbow that brightens the day._

 **END**

 **So what did you think about my first chapter? Good? Bad? Please review on how I did, because I'm very excited on your guys' reception. I'm glad that I started to write about one of my favorite shippings (Ash X Sabrina). Anyways, I hope you join me on my next chapter! Review and Favorite!**


	2. Chapter 2: Resurgence

**Hey, guys! It's Ebony Void back with another chapter here. Anyways, we got some reviews last time! I'd like to start a Review Corner where I answer to all of the reviews on the previous chapter… I had 4 last time, so let's begin with those!**

 **Espeon44:** Start with what? I'm confused… well thanks for giving a favorite and a follow for me. Means a lot. :D

 **Arcanineandlucariofan:** Thanks for saying that my writing skills are awesome! You helped me bring up my confidence a lot with that comment; and thanks for the favorite and review!

 **Guest:** Thanks for saying that you like it, but what exactly do you mean to 'tag' it? I'm confused… but moving on, you all shall see more!

 **Sailor moon 02:** Lol, you are really funny. Don't you think I'm smart enough that it's just you hiding behind a guest account? I saw all of your reviews, and they all said 'sailor moon' in one way or another. You just go into different accounts and give yourself reviews, but really, not many people are noticing them. And let me see what you just said… 'Your stories are very boring nithing wring with pinkmoon25 gramner and i hate ash and i dont like you.' Now, now… If my stories are boring, then explain to me. I won't cry, I'll take your suggestions and see if I can do them. Also, there were very large flaws in his grammar, you just can't see it. And if you don't like me so much, then get the hell off of my story!

 **Reign of Sorrow:** I really don't know. But you know what, thanks for saying that I'm a good writer. Encourages me to write more for you and for everyone else. :)

 **Now that I got that out of the way, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 2: Resurgence**

Overlooking Saffron City lies a hill known as 'The Hill of Memories'. Here, there are many graves depicting loved ones that have lost their lives throughout the history of Kanto, and many memorials are held here every week to signify another memory added into the group. In the highest spot stood a man that looked to be about 21 years old. He had donned a black cape with a baggy black shirt underneath. He wore a hat that covered his left eye. With simple black pants and a clean pair of black boots, he certainly loved the color black, since it matched with his hair color. Beside him was a Gallade who stood tall at 5'11", instead of the usual 5'3". However, it was a shiny one at that. The usual light green was replaced with a lightly colored blue. Its red horn was replaced by a silvery color, and on its neck was a necklace that had a stone attached into it. The man beside the Gallade cleared his throat as he glanced at his Pokémon.

"Gallade, we should get going now. God knows she and your mate is angry with us." He lightly joked. Gallade joined it slightly as he brought out a small smile. The two maintained a stoic expression as they walked back down the hills, making sure not to defile the graves of lost people and Pokémon.

 _"Master, why were you so serious when you were up there? It is much not like you."_ The Gallade noticed worriedly. The man looked at him with a small smile.

"I have not seen them in seven years. We have lived here for 7 years in peace, but I was reminiscing all the moments I have had with them. To be honest, I'd really like to pay them a visit and see how they are doing." The man admitted. Gallade put a consoling hand on the man's shoulder.

 _"Gardevoir and I are more than willing to go with you and Mistress."_ He offered. The man turned back and nodded as they silently walked back towards Saffron. As they passed by, everyone looked in awe of the shiny Gallade, but were even more in awe as they saw the man start to put on a golden necklace with a similar stone to Gallade's. They walked back towards the Saffron Gym and opened it up and locked the door behind them. A little tired, they made their way over to the right room, where they saw a woman grooming a kneeling Gardevoir.

"We're home." The man said. The woman stopped grooming and walked up as she gave the man a quick kiss.

"So, how was your training with Gallade, Ash?" she asked curiously. The man known as Ash Ketchum smiled.

"We are really close to perfecting unlimited Mega Evolution. He kept evolving, and I tried to increase my power output towards the stone. Soon, Gallade can permanently become Mega Gallade. And you like that form, right Gallade?" Ash explained. The Gardevoir got up and made a pouty-face.

 _"I prefer if you call him Azure, Sir Ash."_ The Gardevoir asked. Ash sheepishly smiled.

"Oh, yes. I forget that he has a real name sometimes. I'm just used to calling Pokémon by their Pokémon names." He admitted. The Gardevoir giggled lightly as she hooked an arm around Gallade and went into the corner where Gardevoir rested her head against Gallade's shoulder.

 _"How was your training, Azure?"_ Gardevoir asked.

 _"It was good. I have felt myself getting stronger, but there's something I need to talk to you about, Jade."_ Gallade started off. The Gardevoir, or Jade, gave him a questioning look.

 _"What is it?"_

 _"Master Ash has been planning to go to his hometown to be with his long-lost friends once more. I know I shall follow him, but will you go as well?"_

 _"Of course. Mistress Sabrina will always go with him, and I too with her. Of course, I would still stay here, just with you Azure."_ Gardevoir said with a smile. The woman who was Sabrina had heard the conversation with her incredibly powerful psychic abilities and turned to Ash.

"Is that true? Do you want to go back to Pallet?" she asked him. Ash was taken aback at her knowledge, but nodded anyway. Sabrina smiled.

"Of course, I'd come with you Ash. Nothing in this world can make us become apart." She said lovingly. Ash smiled as they were pulled into a close hug. They stayed like this until Sabrina let go and looked at Ash. He had gotten taller over the years and better looking. She was very proud to call him her husband. Smiling to herself, Sabrina could clearly remember the proposal like it was yesterday.

 **X-X-X**

 **2 years ago**

 **X-X-X**

Today was no ordinary day as the couple known as Ash and Sabrina celebrated their 5th year. 5 years of tolerating and loving each other was certainly a feat for anyone, and today was their day to celebrate. It was also the 2nd year that Gallade had officially asked Gardevoir to become his mate. All in all, today was a very special day, especially for Ash. It was around noon where Sabrina had finally woken up to find Ash and Gallade gone. She was curious where they were, but she shrugged it off. Meanwhile, the duo had gone towards a shop of rings. More importantly, engagement rings.

"Gallade, what do you think? Do any of these look good enough?" Ash asked his partner. Gallade shrugged.

 _"If I had to speak in all honesty, I think Mistress Sabrina would like that one."_ He explained as he gestured over to a diamond ring. It was a Princess Cut with an infinity design that symbolized the intertwining destinies between man and woman when they would finally come together as one, forever with each other. Ash smiled.

"You certainly have a good eye. My good man?" Ash called out to a clerk. The clerk immediately came behind the counter as he saw a rather strange looking person. He didn't look like he had lots of money with him; the clerk would enjoy making fun of Ash.

"Yes, sire? Do you have anything in mind?" the clerk asked, with a little cockiness in his voice. Ash waved it off as he pointed towards the ring he had seen.

"I would like to know the price of that ring." He asked. The clerk smirked and took a deep breath until he said the price.

"You see, this ring was crafted with a crystal that was left behind by the Mythical Pokémon Diancie. As you can see, the bright shine of the pink diamonds give off a nice luster. It's then carefully encased in a platinum base. The price? 5,000,000 Poké." He explained, the cockiness in his voice rising a little bit. He expected Ash to walk away, muttering about the price but he actually saw Ash sigh in relief.

"That's a bigger price than I expected… I thought it would be 10,000,000. Anyways, do you guys take credit?" Ash asked as he handed the clerk a PLA Credit Card. He had been affiliated with the Pokémon League Association since he is with a Gym Leader. He occasionally does work for them, and in return, he gets paid a lot. The clerk took the card with a defeated face as he processed the money. After giving his thanks, Ash took the ring and the box it came in and stuffed the box in his pocket, safely stored in there until he would use it later tonight. Gallade quickly stood by Ash's side again.

 _"The ring really does look nice, Master. I'm sure Mistress Sabrina will love it."_ Gallade assured. Ash grinned as they walked back to the Gym, where they would surely be waiting. Ash had already planned it out. He had even gotten Gardevoir to help him with the proposal. He would first take Sabrina out to a very nice dinner, then at the end of the night, he would give his present.

 **X-X-X**

 **A few hours later…**

 **X-X-X**

Ash and Sabrina exited the restaurant arm in arm as Ash paid the waiter handsomely. The two then made a quick excursion towards the Hill of Memories, where Ash was ready to give his present. Gallade and Gardevoir trailed behind as they were the ones to make sure no one would attack them on their special day. Sabrina, in a purple dress with her hair done in a ponytail, smiled and rested her head on Ash's shoulder.

"Happy 5th Anniversary honey." Ash said lovingly as he placed a quick kiss on Sabrina's head. She smiled at him.

"Now what's the big surprise you have for me?" Sabrina asked as they got to the top of the hill. Ash grinned and snapped his fingers as Gallade came out of nowhere and started to slash at the air with Gardevoir right next to him.

"What's going on…?" Sabrina asked. Gallade looked back at her and smiled as he began to cut harder. His arms began to glow as they began sending out lines of psychic energy. They began to form… letters? Gardevoir then started to pulsate the energy as they began to glow brighter. Sabrina was confused at first until the letters began to thicken.

"Will…" she began.

"You…" she started to tear up.

"M-marry…" she was almost in tears now.

"Me…?" she finished. She turned to see Ash down on one knee with a box in his hand. The box opened to reveal a very expensive looking ring with diamonds glistening in the sunlight.

"Sabrina… You have been there for me from the very beginning. I always thought that it mattered how expensive everything was, or that everything had to be perfect, but now I know that all that matters is that I'm here with you and that I can do everything in my power to make you happy. So… will you marry me?" he asked finally. Sabrina teared up and smiled widely as she pulled up Ash and gave him a big hug.

"Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!" she shouted. Ash smiled and let go of her for a second.

"Not done yet. Gallade?" Ash began. He started to charge up an aura sphere that radiated the rainbow spectrum. He then shot up into the sky with Gallade quickly slashing the spheres, making them blow into small particles that twinkled in the night sky. On the end of that night, Ash and Sabrina were locked into a passionate kiss that would forever last throughout their lives.

 **X-X-X**

 **Back to the Present**

 **X-X-X**

"That's great Sabrina. Do you think we should head out now?" Ash asked. Sabrina nodded as she began to pack her essentials into a small purse and made sure that all of her Pokéballs were clipped onto her belt. Ash nodded as he also made sure he had his stuff.

"You all ready? It'll take a bit of energy from all of us to teleport to Pallet." Ash warned slightly. Everyone nodded as they got into a square formation as they all held hands. A blue circle surrounded them as the color shifted slowly to pink. After a few moments, the circle quickly intensified and within a flash, they were gone with no trace. They then reappeared near the entrance of Pallet Town. Right across from them was Professor Oak's lab. Ash chuckled; it hadn't changed since he was here 7 years ago. Sabrina however, was very nervous about meeting everyone. Would they accept her? Would they like her? She was also worried about Ash's mom not being informed that they were married. Ash could sense his wife's discomfort and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. If they don't like you, then to hell with them." Ash reassured her. This seemed to calm her down as they walked side by side towards the lab with Gallade and Gardevoir on the lookout behind them. When they got to the door, Ash took a deep breath and knocked.

"Who is it?" A voice called out. Ash smirked.

"I thought you would recognize your own friend, Gare-bear." Ash remarked. He could hear a faint gasp on the other side and muttering of 'It can't be…' and 'Seriously…?' Gary opened the door with an unsettled look until he saw a tall man that was right about his height with a beautiful woman whom he had identified as Sabrina the Psychic-Gym Leader. Behind them were a shiny Gallade and a Gardevoir holding hands.

"May I help you?" Gary asked. Ash smiled as he took off his cap and showed his true face to Gary.

"Remember me?" Ash joked. Gary grinned as he pulled Ash into a brotherly hug. Gary invited the two as Ash saw some familiar faces such as Drew, Max, Trip and Paul, all of whom were happy to see Ash alive and well. However, Gallade wasn't as tolerant as he quickly dashed forwards and held his hands up to block any other form of contact with his master. Ash put a hand on the Gallade, signaling him that he was alright.

"Where'd you get that shiny Gallade anyways, Ash?" Max asked curiously as he saw the stature of the powerful Pokémon. Ash was about to explain until he was cut off with another question by Gary.

"Yeah, and how is it so big? It's nearly our height, yet it's supposed to be at least 6 inches shorter. Same with the Gardevoir back there." He asked as well. Ash cleared his throat and began to explain.

"When I left Pallet Town 7 years ago, I was planning to go to somewhere random, where I can be excluded from any form of human contact. Then, I had found this shiny Ralts that popped out of a random bush and said he needed my help to find his best friend. Turns out that his best friend was another Ralts that Sabrina had found. Since then, I didn't leave Saffron so that we could take care of both. Of course…" Ash said as he swing an arm around Sabrina. "I didn't dawdle with training. Living with a Gym Leader has its perks. The best one was that I could finally tell my feelings about her that I had bottled up all this time." He admitted. There was a light clapping as Ash looked past his friends to see Professor Oak smiling. He had aged over the years, but he had still kept a young look to his face.

"I am really glad you're back, Ash." Oak remarked. Ash smiled and nodded. Suddenly, Paul looked like he had a question.

"Wait… How did you know that your friend was in Saffron City?" Paul asked. Ash shrugged.

"I think the psychic pulses the two emitted were strong enough to be reached by each other. But that's just a guess." Ash explained. Oak cleared his throat as if he had a definite explanation.

"That's half-right, Ash. You see, when two psychic Pokémon are familiar with each other, they become familiar with their psychic signatures. Each signature is very difficult to recognize since they can be similar to others, but if they are close enough, then they can easily detect them. But when you told me that pulses could reach as far as Saffron, that probably means that these Pokémon were extremely powerful, even as kids yes?" Oak guessed. Ash nodded.

"Yeah. They were really powerful and when we would do battles to toughen them up, our battles would go on for hours since they were so tough against attacks. Sabrina and I would also do 6-on-6 so that I could also train up the rest of my Pokémon." Ash explained. Trip stepped up and smirked at Ash.

"Let's do a practice match. We haven't faltered in our skills since we had to train all of your Pokémon. You ready?" Trip challenged. Ash grinned as Gallade stood by him.

"We would never back down. Isn't there a battlefield outside?" Ash asked. Oak nodded.

"Yes. Let's go, shall we?" Oak offered. Ash and Sabrina nodded as they hooked their arms together and walked towards the battlefield with the other boys trailing behind.

"He's really strong Trip… I can feel that Gallade's power. The Gardevoir is no slouch either." Max reported. Trip nodded.

"Of course he would be strong. Anyone training that harshly for 7 years straight would be. I'm just glad that we trained ourselves as well. But should we tell him… about the thing?" Trip asked. Paul shrugged.

"It's up to you guys. Personally, we should. We do need to get him out of his shell." He guessed. Drew agreed as he began to speak.

"We should just catch him up with everything after the battle, alright?" he finalized. Everyone was content with that as they followed the battlefield with Trip and Ash on opposite sides. Sabrina and the other non-battlers sat on a nearby bench.

"So how's Ash doing?" Gary asked her. Sabrina smiled.

"He's doing great. Remember how dense he kinda was?" Sabrina joked. Paul groaned inwardly.

"'Kind of' dense? He was really dense back then." He remarked. The psychic-type Gym Leader giggled.

"Yeah, he was. But…" Sabrina started as she flashed her right hand where her ring was present. "The dense dummy actually proposed to me." She grinned. Gary and everyone else felt their jaws drop. Ash actually asked a girl out and actually married her?

"That's… news to me." Drew sweatdropped. Everyone had a similar reaction until Max stood up and volunteered to be the referee. "Shush… the battle is starting." Drew hushed everyone as Max began to speak.

"The battle between Ash and Trip will now begin! This will be a… wait what kind of battle is it again?" Max asked. Everyone groaned as they didn't even decide what kind of battle it was going to be.

"How about a 1-on-1? This is just a practice match after all." Trip offered. Ash nodded as Max began to continue.

"This will be a 1-on-1 battle! Begin!" Max shouted. Ash quickly motioned for Gallade to get on the field as Trip called out his Serperior. The two Pokémon could feel each other's strengths as they sized each other up.

"I'll lead! Serperior, Leaf Storm!" Trip yelled.

"Gallade, slash it in half with Psycho Cut." Ash ordered calmly. Serperior summoned a large storm of leaves as they were razor sharp and headed towards Gallade. However, the psychic-type Pokémon didn't even flinch as he brought down one arm and destroyed the attack, splitting it into two.

"Another Leaf Storm!"

"Dodge then use Swords Dance." Serperior summoned another storm of leaves, but the attack was much stronger and faster than before. Gallade barely slid to the right to dodge the attacks. Smirking, his arms began to glow as they sharpened. Ash wondered how the storm of leaves was stronger, but he suddenly had an idea.

"Does your Serperior have Contrary?" Ash asked.

"Yep. We can afford to keep using Leaf Storm that way." Trip explained. Ash cursed his luck.

"Fine. Gallade, Swords Dance!"

"Snatch!" Gallade began to heighten his attack once more until Serperior lunged forwards and swiped the energy from Gallade. The psychic-type angrily glared at Serperior as it raised its attack instead. Ash growled angrily.

"Gallade, Night Slash into Stored Power."

"Iron Tail into Leaf Storm!" Gallade's arms quickly turned black as he rushed forward, delivering a powerful blow towards Serperior who cried out in pain but was able to send a steely tail that was expertly blocked with Gallade crossing his arms. Smirking, Gallade sent out a beam of psychic energy as Serperior summoned another storm of leaves, much stronger than last time yet again. The two attacks collided in the middle of the field, dissipating upon contact. An explosion was created as the two Pokémon stared each other down. Ash grinned as he flashed his golden necklace. Everyone was confused until Trip had widened eyes.

"Time to kick this up a notch! Gallade, through our bonds, we shall overcome this battle! Beyond evolution, Mega Evolve!" Ash shouted. Energy rippled through the air as a blast of psychic energy engulfed Gallade. Bursts of energy sped through the air, occasionally damaging Serperior. The light increased dramatically until a huge wave of power ended the light. Gallade's legs and arms lengthened as large, thin blades jut out of Gallade's arms. A cape had flowed down from Gallade's back, and its horn had curved. His body was almost pure white with the exception of his blue hair on the top of his head. Gallade's eyes shone a dark red as he stared down Serperior.

"Gallade's stronger, but that doesn't mean he's unbeatable. Frenzy Plant into Hyper Giga Impact!" Trip yelled out. He wasn't planning to use 3 very powerful but costly moves all into one attack, but he had to attack strong or he wouldn't attack at all.

"Double Teleport into Psycho Combat." Serperior screeched loudly as large roots were summoned out of the ground as each one summoned three more. The roots all headed straight for Gallade and to make things worse, Serperior shot off a purple beam then dove into it as energy and friction swirled around Serperior's serpentine body. However, Gallade was able to Teleport away and create copies of itself while doing so. Serperior had crash landed into a fake one, but the large roots began to attack all of the copies at once. One hit the real Gallade, making it cry out in pain. The psychic-type growled angrily as he rushed forwards and delivered a fury of punches and kicks all powered up with psychic energy. With one last punch, Gallade knocked Serperior back towards Trip. The grass-type wasn't done however as it rose to its full height which was much taller than Gallade. Serperior had labored breathing as it struggled to give out more attacks. Gallade wasn't faring any better as his arms began to droop to his sides and his eyes were beginning to show tiredness.

"Serperior, keep going! Use Dragon Tail into Air Tornado!"

"Dodge the Dragon Tail then use Psycho Cut to block." Serperior roared loudly as it rushed forwards with a tail covered with draconic aura. Gallade easily sidestepped the attack and brought his hands for a Psycho Cut, but Serperior quickly looped around to dodge the attack and summoned a tornado of leaves and spammed Air Slash to create an aerial barrier against the attack. Gallade looked on in horror as multiple slashes dug into his body and leaves battered everywhere. The psychic-type fell onto one knee as he was breathing heavily. Serperior smirked as it stared down Gallade.

"Time to use our ultimate attack! Frenzy Overload!"

"Finish this up with Extreme Blades." Serperior shouted loudly as multiple roots were summoned, each spawning more roots. At the same time, waves of leaves were summoned on top of the large roots. To top it off, pillars shot up that exuded a green aura as they summoned more attacks. Even seeds were exploding everywhere. Gallade grinned as his blades and his cape began to glow. His left glowed with a pink aura and his right with a dark one. He then began to hack away at the roots, not caring if leaves and seeds were striking him. He was so close towards Serperior, but the damage caused to him was too much. Gallade let out one mighty roar as he sped up, changing his attack every second, alternating between different types. An explosion of attacks appeared at his wake until Gallade had delivered the final blow towards Serperior's chest. An explosion blew everyone away as the psychic-type skidded back.

"Serperior! Please be alright!"

"Keep fighting, Gallade!" both trainers shouted. The smoke cleared and showed Serperior and Gallade still upright. Gallade fell onto both knees as he stared up at Serperior who was grinning until it fell down completely. Max, albeit quite scared of the Pokémon, began to speak.

"Serperior is no longer able to battle. Gallade is the winner!" Max yelled out. Ash nodded and made a small grin as Gallade walked back with a smile on his face. Ash secretly hoped for Gallade to stay into his Mega Form after that harsh battle, but Gallade quickly reverted back into its normal form. Gallade made a small smile until he fell onto the ground, Ash barely catching him by the shoulders.

"Sabrina, ask Gardevoir to heal Gallade. He had a tough match." Ash ordered. Sabrina nodded and quickly commanded her Gardevoir to repair the damage done to her mate. Meanwhile, Trip was sulking about the loss.

"I can't believe I lost." Trip muttered. Ash smiled and put a consoling hand on Trip's shoulder.

"I don't know if this will make you feel better, but your Serperior had helped Gallade's development to permanent Mega Evolution. For that, I thank you." Ash announced as he made a small bow. Trip grinned. The prospect of helping out one of his friends was everything he could ask for. Suddenly, Drew came up.

"Ash, you might want to see this." He suggested as he handed a letter towards Ash. The Kanto trainer had a curious expression until he opened the letter up and began skimming it, with Sabrina right next to him reading the letter as well.

 _Dear Ash and Sabrina,_

 _Hey guys. It's Scott, manager of the Battle Frontier. You two have been making quite a name for yourselves within the league, and we felt that you two should participate in the League Championships. Of course, we took the courtesy and invited all of your friends as well. Also, the tournament is a double battle format, so look forward to that. Inside the envelope will be a device with two buttons. The red means no, and the blue means yes. Press any of those, and the device will immediately disintegrate, as well as the letter. I hope you accept our invitation._

 _Best regards,_

 _Scott_

The two read the letter all over again until Drew handed Ash the envelope which contained the device. Ash glanced over at Sabrina, looking for her approval. When she gave her shrug, Ash smiled and pressed the blue button on the device. Just like Scott said, the device broke down and split into numerous little pieces, basically turning into a pile of dust. The letter suddenly weakened as well as it was ripped into shreds and flew off into the wind.

"I'm guessing they're inviting the Gym Leaders as well?" Ash growled slightly. Everyone slightly winced at that statement.

"Yeah… they will be. Ash, whatever you are planning to do, don't do it." Gary warned as Ash began to growl.

"Look, we won't even interact with them. We'll mind our business and they'll mind theirs." Max suggested. Inside of Ash, he was bursting with anger. Everyone he knew would be there, and all of them would be one step closer to receiving Ash's wrath. However, Ash immediately calmed down as Sabrina placed a calming hand on Ash's shoulder.

"It'll be alright. I'll be there with you, okay?" Sabrina reassured him. Ash smiled a small smile as Ash looked at his group of friends.

"I'll do it. I'll go to the tournament." Ash agreed. Everyone mentally cheered as they saw their friend calming down quite a bit. Oak was staring at Sabrina in wonderment. Apart from Ash's mother, they were the only ones to ever calm down Ash immediately. Oak smiled to himself as he praised the girl for her abilities and ways with the Kanto trainer. The professor then clapped once, getting the attention of everybody.

"Then let's head off to the Pokémon World Stadium." Oak announced. Everyone hummed in agreement as they began to prepare. Ash pulled Sabrina away from the commotion and led her to a private place behind the Pokémon lab.

"Sabrina… I need to know this from you. If I ever lose control in the stadium… Please do whatever it takes to calm me down. Even if it means killing me." Ash warned. Sabrina was shaken up at that statement. Kill her husband?

"Why would I kill you Ash…? You're the love of my life, and I wouldn't throw you away like that." She countered as she cupped Ash's cheek. The Kanto trainer smiled weakly until beginning to speak again.

"Still… just subdue me in any way possible if I get out of hand… because I might be if all of those emotions come rushing back." Ash growled as he snarled at the thought of the stupid Hoenn coordinator and the bitchy bluenette from Sinnoh. Sabrina looked at him and smiled.

"I promise." She agreed. Ash nodded as they went back to the group with everyone just about finished with their preparations.

"Shall we go there on plane or Pokémon?" Ash joked. Everyone shot a small glare at him at which he flinched at but he remembered something. The stadium is near the center of the world. It would take quite a bit of energy for all of them to teleport there, but if they had some psychic-types willing to invest some power, then Ash and his friends would get there in an instant.

"Do any of you have psychic-types?" Sabrina cut Ash's train of thought.

"I do; my Alakazam." Gary said as he brought out his psychic-type. The Alakazam stood proudly as it stood there with a stoic expression. Drew nodded.

"As do I. I have my Medicham." Drew then brought out the dual psychic/fighting-type. Max grinned.

"I also have my own Metagross!" he shouted, bringing out the steel/psychic-type. It roared metallically as everyone waited for Trip and Paul to call out their psychic-types.

"I have Reuniclus with me." Trip announced. Paul smirked.

"I do have my own psychic-type." Paul called out as his Pokéball revealed the one and only Cresselia. Everyone gasped at the sight of the legendary psychic-type. Ash walked up to the legendary and began to stroke her delicate feathers.

"Where did you get her, Paul?" Ash asked as he gently ran his fingers through the soft material. Paul shrugged.

"When I was near Canalave, there was an attack on Lunar Island. Of course, I checked it out and then I saw Cresselia damaged with Darkrai beginning to deliver the final attack. Scared for it, I sent out Torterra and I eventually scared the Darkrai off. I couldn't leave Cresselia there, so I asked her if she wanted to come with me. Obviously she said yes." Paul explained with a smirk. Ash smiled at the story and continued to pet the feathers, making Cresselia croon in happiness. This continued on for a while until the door to the lab swung open. Ash quickly took on the offensive as he jumped in front of everybody and got into a fighting stance with Gallade ready to battle as well. Everyone, including Ash, sweatdropped at the realization that the person was Ash's mother.

"Ashy! You didn't tell me you were back!" Delia squealed happily as she pulled her sun into a bone crushing hug. Gallade just looked on at the sight and was unsure of what to do. Meanwhile, Ash was going to the other land after having his life crushed right out of him with the hug.

"M-mom… crushing me… let go…!" Ash groaned out. Delia quickly let go and smiled motherly as she saw her son breathing in relief with Gallade putting a consoling hand on Ash's back. Delia scanned the room until she noticed Sabrina with a Gardevoir by her side.

"Oh! And who's this pretty young lady?" Delia asked as she held out her hand. Sabrina blushed as she took Delia's hand into her own, forming a small bond between the two. Ash was kind of nervous. How would he say that they were married? As he tried to think of something, Gary interrupted his thoughts.

"Mrs. Ketchum, that's Ashy-boy's wife." He smirked as he gave Ash a mock thumbs-up. Delia was frozen in place as she heard that word. She turned to face Ash who was already cringed in fear. However, no one expected the reaction that Delia gave. Instead of being mad about it, she was quite happy and pulled Ash into a motherly embrace.

"My Ashy is all grown up… Guess you don't need me here anymore, huh baby?" Delia said with tears. Sabrina quickly jumped in, not wanting to make her mother-in-law cry.

"Oh, Mrs. Ketchum. Ash and I will always need you with everything. You were the one who raised him into an amazing man, and it's only fair that you get to see and work with him throughout his life." Sabrina explained. Delia smiled as she looked at the beautiful Gym Leader. She was really happy that Ash had finally found a woman he liked and took care of.

"Well, we do need to get to the stadium soon. Are we all ready?" Oak cut in. Everyone nodded as the psychic-types gathered around. Gallade and Gardevoir were back-to-back as the 5 other psychic-types surrounded them. They began to glow a bright blue as everyone felt a tingly sensation. With a mighty cry from all of the Pokémon, they disappeared in an instant. They then reappeared at the entrance of Center Island, home to the Pokémon League Stadium. The psychic-types stopped radiating power and took a breather.

"We're here, you guys!" Ash announced. Gallade took a small breather and stood by Ash once again. Everyone else returned their psychic-types while Gallade and Gardevoir stood by their respective trainers. They walked silently towards the center building. It was composed of one large building surrounded with 4 smaller ones. Each small building was connected with a sky bridge with lots of trainers crossing. In the middle building, lots of trainers were walking their Pokémon as battlefields around the center raged with multiple battles. Ash smiled a small smile as they entered the big building. When they entered the room, the group literally stopped in their tracks. There they were… the traitors.

 _Coming back was one of the best things I have ever done._

 _But now the assholes are here to ruin it._

 **END**

 **Well, there's the next chapter! Sorry if I don't post as often. I just started school, and with new classes and schedules and getting used to the new school, I'm kind of overwhelmed being that I'm a freshman. Anyways, we got lots of favorites and reviews saying that I shouldn't put myself down and say I suck. I agree with you, it's just that I thought I did suck. Rereading my work and finding that one mistake kind of ruins it for me, but you know what? Screw if I make little mistakes; you all still appreciate the story which is enough for me. Anyways, hope to see you all in Chapter 3!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Exhilarating

**Hey, everyone! I'm so glad that I got positive feedback from all of you! I'm really happy about the reception, but there's one thing that's bothering me… I checked the views for my story, and they were stuck at 113. I was sure that someone else had at least read my story, but does anyone know why it's stuck there? If not that's okay. I like reviews and favs and follows and everything else! Time to reply to all of your reviews now!**

 **Reign of Sorrow:** Thank you! Your waiting shall be ended with this new chapter! :P

 **Guest #1:** I'm actually glad that someone had brought that up! I was planning to add Serena and make her this bitch trying to take Ash and Sabrina apart, but why don't you all tell me how I should add her.

 **Guest #2:** Thank you! Always nice to hear that! :D

 **Guest #3:** Oh, as in add Ash into the title and make him one of the characters, I see. Well, I just did that, so thank you for the tips! Also, thanks for the praise :)

 **Orca3553:** Wow! You love the story, that's so nice! Anyways, I shall keep up the great work and pump this chapter out!

 **Devilmon007:** Thank you! I'm so glad that I'm doing fine with the story, for a second, I thought my plot was meh.

 **Mark Andrew:** Putting the Scott antics part aside… maybe I could do the twin thing. Where one has aura and the other has psychic powers. Maybe it could be a sequel! But, let's get there when we get there. Also, Ash is NOT the Saffron City Gym Leader. He just stayed there since he wanted to get away from Pallet. Anyways, thanks for loving it, and don't worry; Ash will not get killed.

 **Guest #4:** Thanks! I'm glad you like it! :P

 **I think that's everyone! Remember, you're all fine to send me suggestions or anything you aren't okay with the story. I will respectfully decline or agree with your suggestions, and politely listen to the things you find weird or uncomfortable. I like all of my readers to be happy, so don't be afraid to tell me if something bothers you, okay? Okay! Time for the next chapter, then!**

 **Chapter 3: Exhilarating**

Ash and Gallade balled up their fists as they saw the bumbling group of traitors that had hurt Ash all those years ago. Yet, there they were, in Ash's line of sight. It would take seconds to cause a scene by ripping them into shreds and destroying every single one of their Pokémon with Gallade, but out of respect for Sabrina, he let it go. Everyone he ever knew and betrayed him was right there. Brock, Misty, May, Dawn, Cilan, and Iris. There's also someone he didn't know in the group that had Misty clinging onto his arm, but Ash paid no attention to the new person.

"Let's just go register." Ash said monotonously that sent shivers up his spine. Gallade stoically stood by his trainer's side the entire time they walked up to the counter. Ash grew angrier by the second he saw them as the vision in his eyes fined the details of all of the people. He suddenly felt a calming hand on his shoulder with Sabrina giving him an assuring face. The traitors had finally finished doing everything they were doing on the counter until Ash bumped into May, causing her head to collide with his chest. He didn't flinch or even move back while May was knocked back by the toughness of Ash.

"Hey! What was that for?" May angrily asked as she glared at Ash. The Kanto trainer looked at her with piercing brown eyes as he stared her down until walking towards the counter as his cape flapped once with the swift action. May was beginning to get angrier; just how much of an asshole can this guy be!?

"I'm sorry for him. He doesn't like to talk very much." Sabrina quickly apologized. Brock immediately recognized the psychic-type Gym Leader and began to hit on her as he gave her a lecherous look.

"Ah, Sabrina… With your hotness, I shall take you away this- Oof"! Brock was immediately punched in the stomach with a swift jab by Ash. Sabrina had a rather horrified look as she clung towards the Kanto trainer. Gary began to get angry. No one would insult his friend's friends! Or… wife in this context.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you damn pervert!" Gary angrily accused. The Pewter Gym Leader quickly recovered from the attack from all the times he's been punched and gave a strange look at the Pokémon Professor.

"What are you doing here, Gary? And Paul? What are you all doing here?" he asked curiously. May got out of her anger just for a second to see a flash of green hair. May looked at the coordinator she knew long ago, and was really confused as to why they weren't friends anymore. Also, May was very mad that she couldn't get tips from a pro coordinator anymore since she was hoping to copy some of his tactics and use them as her own.

"Hi, Drew!" May told the coordinator sweetly. Drew looked at her with a glare and turned away. The brunette was really confused now. Why was Drew acting like a douchebag, and why was the guy in the cloak so mean and had to punch Brock? More importantly, why is Sabrina clinging on to the guy? It didn't make any sense for her, but she decided just to get angry at the guy for the time being.

"Hey! You! Battle, now!" May angrily challenged. Sabrina let go of Ash's arm and they all looked at each other. Ash barely held in a laugh as he laughed loudly, every single of his friends joining in the laughter. May got even angrier when she saw Drew pointing at May and laughing at her.

"That was a good laugh." Ash said coolly. "But no offense, I'd destroy you." He remarked. Everyone nodded as Ash pushed her aside to begin registering. The Kanto trainer grunted in annoyance as he felt another hand turn him around to see the same angry May.

"What do you mean, you'll destroy me? I'll have you know, I'm a top coordinator! I would flatten you and your stupid Gallade in a minute!" she sneered, her friends joining in. Ash tensed up. _No_ one called Gallade stupid or any other word related to that. The psychic/fighting-type angrily looked at May with a death glare, as if she said the forbidden word. Ash angrily looked at her and stared her down.

"I'll battle you. But listen to me." He began in a guttural voice. May gulped at his tone. "If you ever call Gallade stupid again, you may not see your kids grow up." He threatened as his cape swung around to cover his right side. May, dumbfounded, followed him into the nearby battlefield. Meanwhile, the boy that Misty had been clinging to piqued Ash's interest. He was tall, around an inch shorter than Ash. He had spiky hair that was dyed a silver with matching silvery eyes that seemed to shine. He was rather well built with a toned body, and his face could be considered 'handsome'. Currently, he was wearing a plain black shirt with grey pants and a wristband that Ash was most intrigued of. The wristband was no ordinary one; it was a Mega Evolution band. The unnamed man also had 6 Pokéballs clipped onto a belt. Ash kept trying to think of what the guy might be, but his thoughts were broken by an angry coordinator.

"So!? Are we going to battle or what!?" she angrily questioned. Then she smirked. "Or are you too chicken?" she provoked. Ash chuckled at her childishness with the attempt of angering him by calling him a farm animal, but he shrugged the apparent insult off.

"It'll be a 1v1. I dare you to send out your strongest Pokémon. Gallade will make quick work of it." Ash said coolly. That enraged the Hoenn native even more as she threw a Pokéball into the air, revealing a well-trained Blaziken. The fire/fighting-type roared as the wrist flames grew. It got into a battle stance as it saw the Gallade.

"I'll start! Blaziken, High Jump Kick!"

"Dodge it." Blaziken jumped upwards and jutted its leg out as it went towards Gallade. A smirk on his face, Gallade sidestepped towards the left, making Blaziken crash into the ground. A roar of pain could be heard as the Hoenn starter walked out of the dust with a hurt leg.

"Blaziken, use Blaze Kick!"

"Psychic." Blaziken attempted to swing a flaring foot into Gallade, but its crippled foot made it groan, giving Gallade lots of time to surround the fire-type with a psychic energy. Blaziken could feel itself rising until it was repeatedly smashed onto the ground, getting more hurt every time. Ash raised a brow as he saw Blaziken stand up barely from the assault that Gallade had given it earlier.

"Yeah, good job Blaziken! Now, give them a Blast Burn!"

"Intercept with Psycho Cut." Meanwhile, the crowd was staring in awe of the powerful fire-type moved being commanded. Misty had a proud face on.

"Gallade is so done now." She remarked. This got everyone angry, but Max stepped up to make a calm counter.

"Yeah, but can't you see? May's just being toyed with. The Blaziken is powerful, but May is such a horrible trainer that it turned to shit." He counterd. Misty got angry and pulled out her infamous mallet and threatened to hit Max with it.

"You shut it, you piece of crap! Don't you talk about your big sister in that way!" she shouted as she swung the mallet. However, a Pokéball quickly opened as a mysterious creature held the mallet with one hand. Max was a bit startled but calmed down as it saw it was only his protective Swampert. They too, had mastered Mega Evolution. Misty became scared as the Swampert pushed the mallet with a finger and took the other hand and crumbled it into pieces.

"Don't mess with Swampert." Max said as he returned the water-type beast and resumed to watch the one-sided match. On the battlefield, Blaziken was charging up a powerful ring of fire that blazed an array of bright colors. Meanwhile, Gallade was lazily charging up a Psycho Cut, bored out of his mind.

"Now, Blaziken! Blast Burn!"

"Go." Blaziken roared as the ring of fire gradually turned blue as an eruption of flames and embers burst out of the ring, all headed straight for Gallade. With one, psychically charged slice, a purple line had extinguished through all of the flames and successfully hit Blaziken, making it roar and cry in pain as it fell towards the ground with May looking angrily at it.

"You lost. Deal with it." Ash said coolly as he proceeded to go back into the Pokémon Center. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks as he heard an impact against something. He swiftly turned around to see May kicking the helpless Pokémon, shouting 'Useless!' and 'Do it right!'

"Stupid Pokémon!" May roared angrily as she reared her right foot back to deliver the final kick until she was swept across the ground. She fell down on the dirt onto her ass with Gallade smirking coolly behind her. She glared at the psychic-type and attempted to throw a punch at it until Ash rushed forwards and held her hand in place.

"Did you just do what I saw you do?" Ash asked in a low and threatening voice. May gulped as Ash's iron grip started to hurt her wrist. She tried to struggle out of it, but Ash tightened his hand on her wrist, making her struggle even more, repeating the process. She started to well up from the pain, but Ash wouldn't let go.

"Y-you're hurting me!" she wailed out, hoping that Ash wouldn't want the attention of everybody because there was a crowd already watching the battle. There were a few murmurs about Ash hurting May, but the main topic was May hurting her precious Pokémon.

"I don't care if I'm hurting you.' He growled angrily. "You dare hit your Pokémon again and attempt to hurt MINE in the process…?" he asked her daringly. "I'll destroy you." He finished, releasing his grip on her. She quickly grew angrily and called him out with a shout.

"Oh yeah? If you know so much, then have the stupid thing!" she angrily barked as she snapped Blaziken's Pokéball in half, much to the surprise of everyone. The crowd began to thin as May and her group left, leaving Ash and his friends behind. Max was the most dumbfounded; he knew that his sister had a temper, but not as bad when she was younger at least.

"Damn it…" Ash groaned out as he walked towards Blaziken who was going through labored breathing. Its chest was rising slowly, but the breathing patterns erratically changed as Ash began to observe the Hoenn Starter. Gallade looked at the poor Pokémon and began to communicate with his trainer.

 _"Master, we should take care of this Blaziken. She is very injured and needs to receive care right away."_ Gallade reported. Ash nodded as he knelt down and hefted the Blaziken with his two hands. He then began to walk towards the Pokémon Center with a damaged Blaziken in his hands. The nurse immediately recognized the damaged Pokémon and rushed towards Ash with a worried expression.

"Sir, what happened to this Blaziken?" she asked urgently as two Chansey took the fire-type onto a stretcher and rushed into a room. Ash was reluctant to explain but he did anyways, from destroying May into a battle and kicking the Blaziken when she was down.

"If you don't believe me, there were many onlookers at the time." He explained stoically. The nurse nodded expressionless as she walked inside the room with the Chansey and began to work on the barely alive fire-type. Ash and his friends were sitting nearby, all with serious looks on their faces. The memory of May kicking the helpless fire-type was engraved in their minds.

"We should get our room. Blaziken will be better tomorrow." Ash suggested as he noticed it was getting pretty late. It was already 11:00 PM and some of them were yawning in tiredness.

"I agree. We have the same room, right?" Max asked as they all stood up. Ash nodded and began to head up, the rest trailing behind. As they made their way towards the room, Sabrina began to notice that Gardevoir was being a bit unsettled.

 _"What's wrong, Jade?"_ she asked worriedly. Gardevoir shuffled slightly until facing the psychic-type Gym Leader.

 _"Azure mentioned that the Blaziken was a she… for some reason, I'm a bit… unsettled by that fact."_ She explained. Sabrina felt a grin creep up to her face.

 _"You're jealous!"_

 _"No, I'm not! I'm just… concerned! Yeah, concerned!"_

 _"That's a lie. You're worried that Azure will be unfaithful to you, aren't you?"_

 _"Well, what's wrong with that? I know that Azure had pledged to be my mate for as long as we live, but it's just unsettling!"_

 _"Trust me, if you were friends with a guy, Azure would feel the same way. So you just need to trust him and his loyalty to you. I'm positive that he would never betray you."_

 _"…Fine."_ Gardevoir crossed her arms as she ended the telepathic conversation. Sabrina giggled slightly as she noticed they were nearing the room.

"Which room are we in?" Sabrina asked as she caught up with Ash. He pointed up ahead where there was a label above the room with the words 'Champion Suite' engraved on a golden plaque. Sabrina and the others were quite surprised when they were given the most expensive suite in the whole place. Ash grinned slightly.

"You see, Scott was able to pull some strings for us. He had messaged me earlier and said that we would get some pretty sweet stuff." He announced. All of them grinned as Ash turned the knob. The suite blew them all away. The place was breath taking. There was a singular chandelier hanging in the middle of the living room with a large kitchen on the right side with a drawer full of snacks and other food. There were 6 rooms and each were identical with one another. Each had a large bed and a drawer next to it filled with Pokémon Potions and other medical things. Each room also had their own bathroom as well, and you could only get into one room by typing a code and scanning fingerprints. Of course, they all had to claim one for themselves.

"This is really nice…" Gary reported as he claimed the first room on the left. At the end of the rooms were a big glass window overlooking the large island.

"Yeah, it really is." Ash said as he took his cap off. He and Sabrina then claimed the room right across from Gary as they began to get accommodated to the rooms. As everyone settled down for a couple of minutes, they all heard a knock on the door. Ash, being cautious, quickly put his cap back on and dressed in his cloak as he opened the door. At the front of their door was a man dressed formally with an ID dangling from his neck that read his name and that he was part of the PLA.

"Are you Ash Ketchum, sir?" he asked with a deep voice. Ash stared at the man with a hard glare.

"Yes, I'd prefer if you not call me that. If you have to talk to me, refer to me by Ebony." He requested. The man nodded until he cleared his throat.

"I shall. As you can see, Mr. Scott has provided you with the suite. He has asked for me and another person to be your bodyguards to your suite and we shall also deliver your battle schedules personally, per Mr. Scott's request." He explained as he handed Ash an envelope. Ash nodded as he gave his thanks and closed the door. He heard footsteps and peered through the door. Ash grinned; the guy wasn't lying. There were two men outside, supervising their door.

"Did you guys hear that?" Ash asked. "We have personal bodyguards and our stuff in this room doesn't go away for as long as we are in the tournament." He announced.

"Basically that Scott guy hired some guys to protect us while we sleep? Nice." Max remarked. Ash nodded until he held up the envelope.

"We also have our battle schedules. Since there are 128 trainers in this tournament, they have lots of battlefields. To make things easier for us, Scott placed us in the biggest battlefield, Field A." Ash explained. They all groaned.

"Does that mean we _have_ to put on a show? Or does beating down the stupid and easy opponents count?" Paul asked. Ash shrugged.

"We can beat them down. But when it comes to the traitors, let's go kick their asses since this is all double battles. Anyways, here are our schedules." Ash said as he opened the envelope. Encased were pieces of paper with basic trainer information.

"Sweet, we're paired up!" Drew grinned as he high-fived Max. Paul and Trip were paired up so they got to talking about battle strategies. Ash and Sabrina were paired up as well which only left Gary.

"Hold on, who am I with!?" Gary asked as he snatched the paper with his information on it. Scanning his given information, Gary turned his face to his partner. Ash immediately recognized who it was; it was the same person Misty was with.

"That's the person with Misty earlier, wasn't it?" Sabrina guessed as she looked at the man. The silver hair and silver eyes were very noticeable, and she was sure that everyone else had seen him.

"Yep, he is. Good luck, Gary." Ash said as he and Sabrina turned in for the night. Shaking his head, Gary decided to sleep his anger off as everyone else also started to sleep. As they were sleeping, the man paired up with Gary had been walking off into the night, away from Misty and everyone else.

"They're so annoying… I can't believe I said yes when I only hung out with her for like a week." He muttered to himself. He then unclipped one of his Pokéballs and let the Pokémon out. The Pokéball closed as a powerful looking Aegislash floated in the air as it looked at its trainer with a curious face.

"Hey buddy. We're going to battle tomorrow, so I expect every ounce of strength from you, alright?" he asked. The Aegislash merely tilted forwards as a sign of nodding as it and its trainer walked off into the night, not planning to sleep at all.

 **X-X-X**

 **The Next Day**

 **X-X-X**

An alarm loud enough to be heard by everyone in the suite sounded throughout the place as Ash and the others were woken up. Groggily getting up, Ash opened the door as the others quickly followed suit.

"When is our battle…?" Ash asked sleepily as he took the paper on the middle coffee table. He skimmed through the page until he saw that the battle was at 10:00 AM. It was already 9:30. They had overslept!

"Oh, shit!" Ash cursed angrily as he quickly went back into the room and woke Sabrina up roughly. "Sabrina, we've overslept! Our battle is in 30 minutes!" he shouted with a hushed tone. The psychic trainer shot up with a worried look as she looked at Ash and rushed into the bathroom to ready herself.

"What's the ruckus about?" Gary yawned as he stretched outwards. He took at a glance on his own paper. His battle wouldn't be until 11:00 AM. He wanted to use that time to get a bit of training and to meet the person he would be battling with. Sighing to himself, he saw Ash rushing around the hotel room with his hands full of his clothes and his Pokéballs. Meanwhile, Gallade and Gardevoir were snuggled up near the entrance to Ash and Sabrina's room, peacefully sleeping.

"We'll wake them up when we're ready." Ash warned as he saw Gary about to nudge them awake. After 15 solid minutes of preparing themselves, Ash and Sabrina got out in their clothes. Ash was wearing his usual baggy black shirt and baggy black pants with a black cape swung over his shoulders. He also had a matching black hood and black boots with a black belt for his Pokéballs to be clipped on. Sabrina on the other hand, was wearing a pink tank-top and small, golden square wrist bands on both arms. She was wearing beige pants with black flat heels. Her hair flowed to her shoulders as a necklace rested on her neck.

"Now we wake them." Sabrina said as she lightly tapped Gardevoir. The psychic-type stirred along with Gallade until they were both awake.

 _"We have a battle to get to guys."_ Ash said telepathically. Gallade suddenly stood up with Gardevoir still sleepy.

 _"Jade, we have to get to our battle soon."_ Gallade reported as he held out his hand for Gardevoir to take. The psychic-type saw the hand and took it as she stood to her height. Ash smiled as the two psychic-types held hands. The Kanto trainer then looked at his friends who were pleased of looking at the sight.

"Unless you're not going to come up and watch us destroy our opponents, then you better hurry up and get ready." Ash warned as he flashed his golden necklace out for the world to see. The necklace contained the Galladite, while Sabrina's necklace contained the Gardevoirite. As he said that, everyone began to prepare themselves, rushing around the place and making sure they had their items. As soon as everyone was ready, they all walked out in a big group but was then stopped by the bodyguard.

"Mr. Ebony, sir. Mr. Scott has requested for you and Ms. Sabrina to have the first battle. Everyone else in the suite will follow after you all. Also, he has offered for you all to use his private training grounds. If you agree to use them, the code for the room is enclosed in this slip of paper. Now we shall escort you to the director's box." He explained in a deep voice. Motioning his hand, two more men with similar appearances came from both sides of the hall and began to escort Ash and his friends while the other two stayed behind.

"Man, Scott is really going out, huh?" Gary remarked as he glanced to see a man behind him. Ash shrugged.

"He must really like us if he's going through all of this trouble. But I still do not know who we're up against." Ash said with a rather unsettled face. Meanwhile, Gallade and Gardevoir were right behind Ash and Sabrina, acting as extra guards for them. After 4 minutes of silent walking, they had made it to Field A barely on time.

"This is where you will go up. Good luck in your battles, sir." The two men said as they motioned for the upwards stairs. Ash tipped his hat in thanks as the group made their way towards the large box. Some of the crowd stared at them in shock, since they hardly ever saw the psychic-type Gym Leader, and more were even confused as to who the mystery person was right next to them.

"Let's just hurry." Ash hurried as they quickened their pace. When they finally got to the top, they saw Scott on a chair waiting for them.

"Hey, guys. I'm glad you could make it." He greeted. Ash nodded and sat down on a chair with his legs crossed and Sabrina right next to him.

"Yeah, yeah. Now what's this training facility?"

"Oh yes. It has state-of-the-art simulations, and we also have some devices to strengthen attacks for defensive training." Scott explained. Ash was quite intrigued by that fact. While his Pokémon are in top shape, it wouldn't hurt to train.

"That's a good facility, if you're speaking the truth." Ash stated coolly. Scott smirked.

"You choose to believe it. However, I'll have to announce the battles now." He disregarded Ash's statement as Scott heartily cleared his throat into the mic, getting everyone's attention. A full second of silence goes by until Scott's booming voice could be heard.

"Everybody! Welcome to our tournament! Today, there are 128 trainers competing. All of you have skills that have made you enter this tournament have been recognized. I hope you all enjoy the battles to come. To start this off, we have the Elite Four Duo of Glacia and Drake against the powerful pair of the lovely Sabrina and the mysterious Ebony! Will the battlers please make their way to the battlefield?" Scott shouted. He pat Ash's back and wished him luck. The Kanto trainer put on his hood as his black cape hung onto his right side, showing his 6 Pokéballs. Ash and Sabrina silently made their way towards the field. Once they made it there, they saw Glacia's icy eyes and Drake's powerful aura. The four trainers stood their ground and looked at each other until the referee stood up and began to speak.

"This will be a 2-on-2 battle against Glacia and Drake versus Ebony and Sabrina! Trainers, are you ready?" the referee asked. Gallade and Gardevoir stepped up as the Hoenn Elite Four fingered the Pokéballs on their belt. "Begin!"

"Fight with me, Glalie! / Show them what you got, Salamence!" the duo shouted. The two powerful Pokémon came out with a mighty roar. Glalie had a strap around its right horn with a stone on it, while Salamence had a strap around its neck, fitted with the Salamencite. Ash grinned as the thought of a full on Mega Evolution battle excited him.

"Let's make this interesting. Let's all Mega Evolve." Ash proposed, the excitement in his voice rising. Sabrina smirked as Glacia and Drake had a surprised look on their face.

"We shall! Through the bonds of our powers, we shall overcome this battle! Beyond evolution, Mega Evolve!" The four trainers shouted at the same time. The battlefield was overcome with a bright light as everyone felt a rush of power at the wake. Bursts of energy shook the ground as the referee almost was flung to the wall. A split second before the light died down, an explosion of energies appeared until it died down and revealed the newly Mega-Evolved Pokémon.

"Gallade, Ice Punch. / Gardevoir, Moonblast!"

"Glalie, Protect! / Salamence, Dragon Rush!" Gallade rushed forwards like a blur and sped through the green shield and successfully landed an icy punch against Salamence's cheek. He was able to skid back just in time. However, Gardevoir's Moonblast harmlessly disintegrated at the contact of the Protect, allowing Salamence to rush Gallade head on with a draconic energy surrounding it, only to be stopped by Gardevoir stepping in and removing the draconic energy, letting Gallade land another punch of ice.

"Follow with Psychic Combat. / Psychic Leaf!"

"Blizzard Shield! / Hurricane Rush!" Gallade rushed forwards again and began to coat his arms with a psychic energy, but Glalie was able to summon snow fast enough to create a dense shield between it and Gallade. Salamence gave a mighty flap of its wings and a powerful hurricane appeared. It then dove into it, coated with draconic energy once more. Gardevoir smirked and summoned leaves imbued with psychic energy. However, Gardevoir was quickly hit with a powerful tackle coated with speed and whipping air. Gallade broke through the icy shield and landed almost 50 punches in two seconds on Glalie, making it growl and roar in pain.

"Night Slash. / Calm Mind!"

"Counter with Icy Shard! / Flamethrower!" Gallade came forward with an arm imbued with dark energy as Gardevoir increased her power output by concentrating on her strength and energy. However, Glalie landed a powerful wave of ice shards as it struck Gallade on the arms and legs, making him grunt in pain while Salamence freely breathed out a torrent of white-hot flames, burning the psychic duo.

"Fight through it with Elemental Punch. / Gardevoir, Tri Strike!"

"Freeze them with Ice Storm! / Hit them with Dragon's Sword!" Gardevoir and Gallade charged up two similar punches that swirled with ice, lightning, and fire energies as Glalie began to charge up a howling wind of ice as spikes of ice strutted out from the ground. Salamence charged up two air slashes coated with draconic energy and all four Pokémon rushed forwards and the powerful attacks collided with one another, a collision appearing at the contact. A large explosion covered the battlefield in smoke. With one aura-enhanced swipe, Ash cut through the smoke, a gale of wind blowing the dirt away to reveal Gallade and Gardevoir still standing with Glalie and Salamence knocked out.

"Ahem… Glalie and Salamence are unable to battle! This means that the pair of Ebony and Sabrina has won the match!" the referee announced. The crowd cheered for the battle as the four trainers politely bowed at each other out of respect.

"That was a good battle." Glacia praised. Ash nodded.

"Yes, it was. I haven't had a good one like that in a long time." He remarked with Sabrina smiling.

"I hope to battle you all soon. You really gave us a run for our money." Sabrina stated. Drake grinned and pointed a finger at Ash.

"Find me and Glacia at the Hoenn League! I'd like to battle you sometime." He proposed as he and Glacia walked away. Ash and Sabrina waved at the crowd slightly and walked back up to the director's box and plopped down on the chairs tiredly.

"What a good battle folks! Also, to remind you! The finalists of each field will have to fight each other to become the winner of that branch! Then the last part of the tournament begins with the 8 finalists of each field!" Scott explained. Ash and Sabrina visibly cringed at the mention of fighting each other. They were assured that they would win because they are stronger than Ash's friends, but barely. They looked at each other and nodded solemnly as Scott began to call out the next pair.

"Our next match begins with the lovely Cynthia and Lucian versus the coordinator Drew and the rising star Max! Will the battlers make their way to the battlefield?" Scott explained.

 **X-X-X**

 **Near the end…**

 **X-X-X**

"Garchomp, Flamethrower to finish this up! / Alakazam, Psychic!"

"Sceptile, please dodge! / Flygon, counter with Dragon Claw!" Garchomp breathed out a powerful torrent of flames that headed straight for Sceptile who couldn't dodge in time and was engulfed in a coat of fire that burned under its skin, earning a scream from the grass-type. Flygon attempted to drive a claw filled with draconic energy into Garchomp but was blasted away by a powerful blast of psychic energy, causing a growl of pain to escape from its mouth. A cloud of dirt covered the two Pokémon as the crowd and the battlers stared at the cloud. A few seconds passed by and it was shown that the two Pokémon fainted.

"Er… Sceptile and Flygon are unable to battle! This means the pair of Cynthia and Lucian has won the match!" the referee announced. An eruption of cheers snapped Max out of his thoughts. He returned his fallen Sceptile with a sad smile. He knew he couldn't size up with the Sinnoh Champion, but he's okay with the fact that he was able to give the Hoenn and Sinnoh League a run for their money.

"Hey, good battle." Lucian said with a smile as he returned his slightly beat up Alakazam. Max stared at the elitist of the Sinnoh Elite 4 with a sad smile.

"Yeah, but I knew we couldn't win. You two are way too advanced for us." He admitted sadly. Cynthia waved his comment off.

"While we have more skill than you, you completely messed out pattern up with those trick and combos that pushed us near our limit. For that, I applaud you." She praised the two trainers as she twirled around, her black fur coat swinging in the wind, as she walked away from the battlefield with Lucian trailing closely. The crowd cheering died down a bit as Max and Drew left the battlefield and walked up to the director's box and silently looked at Scott as he began to explain once more.

"A fantastic battle between the powerful Sinnoh duo against the coordinator and star Drew and Max! They were able to trick and perform skillful combos, but in the end, the raw power of Cynthia and Lucian was just too strong. Now, let's get on with the next match! We have the legends from Sinnoh and Unova, Paul and Trip, against the dual Champion of Kanto and Johto Lance with the legendary trainer of Pokémon, Red! Will the trainers please make their way to the field?" he shouted. Paul and Trip paled at the thought of fighting against Red and Lance. Lance was strong enough to defeat one of them, but add the Pokémon Master and you have no chance of winning. Or at least, you have a _slim_ chance of winning.

"The Pokémon Master has finally showed up, huh?" Ash remarked. Sabrina nodded.

"He must be really strong to defeat the 6 Champions in quick succession and defeating the previous Pokémon Master, Blue. I believe he was Red's original rival, right?" she guessed. Ash nodded as the crowd intently watched the trainers make their way to the field.

 **X-X-X**

 **Near the end…**

 **X-X-X**

"Charizard… end this with Blast Burn. / Dragonite, Draco Meteor!"

"Cresselia, Psychic! / Serperior, Leaf Storm!" The combined attacks of Psychic and Leaf Storm created a swirling storm of leaves with a psychic aura surrounding them. However, the continuous streams of draconically-charged meteors coupled with large and powerful blasts of fire easily destroyed the combo attack and caused major damage towards the two Pokémon. The referee got up from his protection form as he uncurled himself and began to speak in a nervous voice.

"Uh… C-Cresselia and S-S-Serperior are un-unable to b-battle. T-this means that the p-pair of R-Red and Lance h-has won the match!" He stuttered out. The crowd cheered loudly as Red coolly turned around and let his black hair whip out. Lance quickly followed, his black cape trailing behind as Paul and Trip sadly returned their Pokémon and began to console each other by telling themselves that they put up a good fight against the powerful trainers.

"How powerful…" Sabrina remarked as she still felt the residual heat from Charizard. However, Ash couldn't shake an uneasy feeling towards Red. He felt such a pull to his aura and personality. It was eating at Ash as he couldn't explain why he was feeling what he was feeling until he just took a breather and began to shake the uneasy feeling off.

"Yeah… I really want to fight him now." Ash grinned as he curled his fist up.

"What a battle, folks! We kind of knew that Red and Lance were going to completely dominate that match with their skills, but Paul and Trip had their moments with outmaneuvers and their unbelievable prediction is unparalleled! But in the end, Red and Lance's raw power and skill pushed them back. Let's see if the last battle of the day will compare! We have the upbeat Alder with the lovely Diantha against the grandson of the legendary professor, Gary Oak with the mysterious trainer only going by Silver!" Scott shouted. Gary groaned and made his way towards the entrance of his side until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around to see Silver smiling.

"I know about 'Ebony'. I'd like to help you in some way, so call me whenever. I really don't like Misty, but I like 'Ebony'. I know him, but he doesn't know me." Silver finished with a small smile as he walked towards the field, leaving Gary to contemplate and be dumbfounded.

"What…" was all he said as he dumbly followed Silver to the battlefield.

 **X-X-X**

 **Near the end…**

 **X-X-X**

"Gardevoir, use Moonblast! / Volcerona, Fiery Dance!"

"Blastoise, Hydro Cannon! / Aegislash, Autotomize into Shadow Claw." Gardevoir wasn't strong enough to summon a powerful blast of energy as a strengthened strike of shadowy energy immediately fainted her. Volcerona blasted another wave of fire towards Aegislash, but Blastoise intercepted with a well-put blast of water and nullified the attack. It was able to shoot another blast of water and easily put down Volcerona. Smoke flew off his body as the two Pokémon fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Ahem! Gardevoir and Volcerona are unable to battle. This means that the pair of Gary and Silver has won the match!" the referee shouted. The Champions silently returned their Pokémon and smiled at the winning duo until Silver stoically returned his Aegislash and turned around as his silver hair streamed in the wind. His silver eyes pierced the crowd with such uncertainty that they couldn't cheer for a couple seconds until an eruption of cheers took its place. Gary ran forwards and placed a hand on Silver's shoulder. _Cold..._ he thought.

"What do you mean, you know Ebony!?" Gary shouted. Right then, Ash and Sabrina came and saw the whole scene unfolding. Silver sighed and held up his wrist.

"Let me show you my true identity." He said with a smirk. He pressed the button and a bright light enveloped Silver until it died down. Ash looked at the new person with a growl. His familiar blue hair and cocky appearance hadn't changed one bit. Ash gritted his teeth as he rushed forwards and held the new man by the neck.

"What are you doing here…? Tobias!?"

 _Here at this very moment._

 _My life changed forever._

 **END**

 **Sheesh, that took way longer than it should've! But I'm so sorry! Being a freshman and also having Honors Chemistry and Pre-Calculus homework is tough. Also, I've also been enrolled in advance History and English classes, making my life a living hell! Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter faster than this one… Again, my apologies!**

 **P.S – I changed my username to Mystic Saber. Meh, I don't know why. Just did.**


End file.
